Washington Wire 
Edited by Trudy L. Jackson Bosilovic
June 2013 Issue I
Dear  ,
 

Step up your membership, and we can step up our impact.

 

We've upgraded our membership structure so we can help you expand your network with other key influencers and provide you with the opportunity to give back to the next generation of young women in STEM. 

 

Best Regards,

  
Janet Bandows Koster
AWIS Executive Director/CEO
 Careers
Contributed by Meghan Mott

How To: Career Transitions

Traditional career paths in STEM are changing. While a plethora of positions are available which draw on high-skilled technical training, making a career transition outside of research is a daunting task. As you prepare to make the switch, start building your skill-set now while you continue to work in your current position. Beef up your communication skills, start networking, re-write your CV, and keep an eye out for fellowships. 

 

Shifting the Science Funding Paradigm

As research funding supported by government agencies falls to historic lows, some scientists are taking a different approach to secure money. Based on the Kickstarter model, several websites now serve as platforms for scientists to pitch their projects to potential donors online. While crowd-funding requires a considerable amount of time, effort, and outreach, it strengthens the ties between science and the general public.  

 

 Populist science

  

  

  Education

Contributed by Jacqueline Akech

 

New Science Standards for Kansas 

The state of Kansas approved new sciences standards that will focus efforts on implementing a hands-on approach to teaching science. This approval was not without controversy. Part of the debate included a decision on how climate change and evolution should be taught.

NSF: STEM Graduate Education Challenge

Recently, winners of the National Science Foundation's Graduate Education Challenge were announced. Graduate Students from across the country were charged with outlining innovative ideas to improve graduate education as well as professional development. In particular, there was one that got second place entitled "Retaining Women in STEM Careers: Graduate Students as the Building Blocks of Change."

  

Graduate education challenge

Member Profile  
Member Level 
Expires
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Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research

 

 Professor of Geobiology

Stanford University

 

 Senior Research Associate

The University of Chicago

Fellow Spotlight

photo: The Courant 
Betty Ivey 

Physicist Elizabeth "Betty" Ivey, PhD, an AWIS Fellow and Sustaining Member has been elected chair of the Board of Trustees of Mitchell College. 

 

 Learn More About Betty

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 Science and Technology

Contributed by Demetra Farley 

 

Modified Seeds Calms Food Insecurity 

A recently published article in PLOS ONE suggests that the use of genetically modified cotton seeds have helped quell food insecurity in India. Over a span of eight years, study authors tracked the livelihood of 533 farmers, several of whom utilized cotton seeds altered to ward off crop-destroying insects. In addition to requiring less environmentally-dangerous and costly pesticides, those farmers growing modified cotton consistently attained larger and healthier crop yields.

 

"Frankenfoods" to the rescue?

 

Therapeutic Potential in Cow Antibodies

Approximately 10% of cow antibodies possess an extended "stalk and knob" that is used to neutralize largely inaccessible surfaces on dangerous antigens. In this month's issue of Cell, author Feng Wang and colleagues isolate such cow antibodies and demonstrate how the extended arm structurally interacts with and responds to antigen. The authors hope to utilize these data to create similar antibodies that elicit immune response against difficult-to-treat diseases in humans. 

 

 Cow immunity of use in human disease

 Work-Life Satisfaction

Contributed by Catherine Moorwood

 

Plugging the Pipeline with Postdoc Pay

The infamous 'leaky pipeline' of women in science careers is often attributed to parenting demands that impact women in mid-career stages, such as postdoctoral (postdoc) training. The long hours and low pay typical of postdoc positions are tough on working parents, who may find that leaving is the only answer. Increasing postdoc pay so that parents could afford childcare and other support might help overcome this trend.

 

STEM the tide

 

Why is U.S. Work-Life Balance So Bad?

The U.S. was recently ranked 28th among developed nations in the category of work-life balance, based on data collected by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. One contributing factor is the increase in hours spent in paid work by women and in particular, the challenges faced by single moms in the U.S.

 

Bad ratings

 Health 
 

Contributed by Lara Kallal

 

Importance of Sleep for Women

Lack of good sleep can promote a rise in inflammatory levels, which can negatively affect cardiovascular health. A recent study of men and women with stable heart disease found a link between poor sleep quality and higher inflammation markers in women, but not men. Most women in the study were post-menopausal, with lower estrogen levels, and this could contribute to the finding.

 

 Sweet dreams 

 

Coffee: Good or Bad?

Coffee has generally gotten a bad rap with regard to health effects. Studies are now increasingly demonstrating the benefits of drinking moderate amounts of the beverage. In particular, both animal and human studies have linked caffeine with changes in the brain that can delay or prevent dementia. Interestingly, caffeine supplied alone versus coffee containing caffeine was less effective in animals performing memory tests, suggesting that coffee may contain other healthful components.

 

A cup o'joe a day

 Events
 
JUNE 19 
Resume Workshop
AWIS Massachusetts Chapter
  
AWIS Chicago Chapter
 
SEPTEMBER 17  
Networking Meeting
AWIS Philadelphia Chapter
 
 Opportunities 
 

German Chancellor Fellowship for Prospective Leaders
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is a non-profit foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany designed to promote international cooperation in research.  The German Chancellor Fellowship For Prospective Leaders gives up to 50 highly talented young professionals from Brazil, China, India, Russia and the USA the opportunity to spend a year in Germany and implement a project of their choice in cooperation with German hosts.

  

2013 Research!America Advocacy Academy

The 2013 Research!America Advocacy Academy is a unique opportunity for postdoctoral fellows in the health and biomedical sciences to learn about how to best incorporate advocacy and effective communications into their role as a scientist.  

 

STATPHYS25 Call for Poster-only Abstract Submission

Call for poster abstract submissions for the XXV IUPAP International Conference on Statistical Physics July 22-26 in Seoul, South Korea. 

 

Fulbright Post-Doctoral Fellowship

The United States-Israel Educational Foundation (USIEF), the Fulbright commission for Israel, offers 8 fellowships to American post-doctoral researchers in support of work to be carried out at Israeli universities. This program is open to American post-doctoral researchers in all academic disciplines. 
 

Elsevier Awards for Early-Career Woman Scientists in the Developing World  Candidates must be female early-career scientists (within ten years of earning their PhD degree). At nomination, candidates must have lived and worked for at least three years in one of the countries listed in the nomination form

  

Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology will offer a limited number of travel awards to early career investigators at the Assistant Professor or equivalent industry scientist level.

  

2012-13 AWIS Star Chapter Award  

The AWIS Star Chapter Award honors those chapters who have accomplished many of the key objectives outlined in the Strategic Plan. The award encourages chapters to perform specific activities designed to ensure that women in STEM fields are able to achieve their full potential.  Objectives must be met before June 30, 2013.

  

Small Business Postdoctoral Research Diversity Fellowship  

The Small Business Postdoctoral Research Diversity Fellowship program aims to encourage creative and highly-trained recipients of doctoral degrees in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematical disciplines to engage in hands-on research projects in their areas of expertise at the kind of small innovative businesses that historically have fueled the nation's economic regime. Each research fellow will receive a stipend of at least $75,000 plus health insurance benefits.   

  

NSF's Career-Life Balance (CLB) Initiative   

Scientists now have the opportunity to submit supplemental funding requests to support additional personnel (e.g., research technicians or equivalent). This will help sustain research when the Principal Investigator is on family leave. In FY 2012, up to 3 months of salary support may be requested (for a maximum of $12,000 in salary compensation) by CAREER awardees.

  

Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics

The Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics (SIBS) offers a comprehensive six to seven week summer training course on biostatistics with relevant examples that include data collected in studies of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders.

  

AWIS Chapter Mini-Grants

AWIS Chapter Mini-Grants are available to support chapter initiatives focused on membership recruitment and retention. Applications following the guidelines are considered on a quarterly basis with the next due June 30, 2013.